It seems that old man winter, pretty scarce around here, has packed it up and is headed home. March is here and it’s soon to be the time to mess with time and move our clocks ahead one hour. So while you’re working on your NCAA brackets, eating corned beef with cabbage, and ringing in the spring, just know we’ve got a box of wine to take care of all your vinous needs, The March Dirty Dozen!

2010 Petite Cochon Blanc, Odisea – $14.98 net price, $13.48 reorder Co-owners Adam Webb and Mike Kuenz are wild about Rhône grapes and scour northern California for quality vineyards that produce them. The Petite Cochon is a blend of Rolle (Vermentino), Viognier, Marsanne, Roussanne, and Grenache Blanc and it struts its stuff with aromas of citrus blossom and stone fruit, has a fresh peachy mouth feel, and finishes crisp and lively. A wine to pair with filet of sole.

2009 Pinot Grigio, Castelletto – $14.98 net price, $13.48 reorderOver in Italia, near the Slovenian border, is the Collio region; a great place to grow Pinot Grigio. Ronco Del Castelletto has been around since 1870, and is well respected in Italy with several Tre Bicchieri awards in its trophy case. Think rich, almost Alsatian styled Pinot Gris here. The wine has an abundance of fruit both aromatically and on the palate. This is the wine for your corned beef and cabbage!

2010 Chardonnay, M-F Wines – $10.98 net price, $9.88 reorderUsing fruit from premium vineyards is the name of the game at M-F. Matt Bonanno and Fritz Stuhlmuller team up here sourcing premium fruit for a not-so-premium price. Passing the savings along, we all win. All tank fermented, this Chardonnay is pure and fresh with lively aromas of yellow fruit and blossoms. Its green apple/citrus fruit profile suggests it will pair well with a crab salad.

2009 Torrontes, Inacayal – $13.99, $11.19 reorderTorrontes is turning heads in Argentina as it has become their signature white wine. Inacayal’s vineyards are located at elevations of 3000 feet and the cool nights that the altitude provides are essential to produce the acidity the wine needs for balance. It has exotic aromas of orange blossoms and lemons. Pour it as an apéritif; or with a meal, it pairs very well with spicy Thai or Chinese cuisine.

2006 Lugana Superiore, Ca’Lojera – $19.99, $15.99 reorderElegant. The perfect word that describes the wines from Ca’Lojera and the woman that makes them, Ambra Tiraboschi. Working with the Trebbiano di Lugana (Turbiana) grape, Ambra crafts this head turning wine. She holds it back for 2 years in barrel to give the Lugana texture and complexity, enough to earn the name ‘Superiore’. Her website’s suggestion for a food pairing? “Elegant dishes”, of course.

2010 Sauvignon Blanc, Lalande – $10.99, $8.79 reorderTalk about screaming good values, we have always been impressed with the array of wines coming from Yves Grassa’s empire in Gascogne, especially his Lalande line. This tank fermented Sauvignon Blanc is fresh and lively with all the citrusy character one expects in a Sauvignon Blanc without going overboard. As we herald in the season of picnicking, allow us to present the picnic wine.

2006 Alentejano, Howard’s Folly – $13.98 net price, $12.58 reorderFrom Alentejo, just east of Lisbon, comes another wine that outperforms its price point by a long shot. Howard’s Folly is made up of Syrah, Alicante Bouschet and Touriga Nacional and it sees 6 months in new French and American oak before bottling. The wine shows plenty of dark, smoky fruit and spice and will make a nice accompaniment for a marinated tri-tip, should you grill one.

2009 Chianti, Il Vescovado – $9.98 net price, $8.98 reorderOpen a bottle of Chianti, and Tuscany emerges from it, like a genie from a lamp. When you get one this good for a price tag like this, you may as well have burned one of your wishes. Made from Sangiovese, Canaiolo, and Ciliegiolo, Il Vescovado is the ‘utility player’ of the bunch. Its medium body and lively acidity allow it to pair well with a myriad of dishes. From meatloaf to pizza, your wish comes true!

2008 Bardolino Classico, Valetti – $7.95 sale price, $7.55 reorderRunning head to head with the Chianti mentioned above is the equally food-friendly Bardolino from eastern Lake Garda. It may be lighter still in body than the Chianti, but its zippy acidity makes it perfect alongside any traditional Italian dish that uses tomato sauce and herbs. It’s a blend of mostly Corvina, with a little Rondinella and Sangiovese, and bang for your buck – a super bargain!

2010 Syrah, Saint-Antoine – $10.99, $8.79 reorderYou can’t go wrong with any wines from the south of France in 2010. The growing season was long and warm, yet cool nights provided the proper acidity to balance harmoniously with the opulent fruit. We’ve been working with Domaine Saint-Antoine for many years now, and their wines usually have a rustic charm, but the 2010 Syrah retains the charm with a palate friendly dose of purple fruit. Yummy.

2009 Morgon Côtes du Py, Domaine Pierre Savoye – $18.99, $15.19 reorderOkay, what we have here is Cru Beaujolais from a good vintage … make that a great vintage. The Côtes du Py is composed of rocky soil and the wines originating there have that distinct mineral verve which latches on to the juicy Gamay fruit resulting in an elegant, Burgundian styled wine. Light in body, this Morgon would be best when paired with something subtle, like a salad with goat cheese.

2008 Côtes du Rhône Mataro, Vignobles Boudinaud – $21.99, $17.59 reorderUsing only Mataro (Mourvèdre) for a Côtes du Rhône may be a little unusual, but Thierry Boudinaud pulls it off nicely here with this dense, gamey offering. Thierry has worked in California, New Zealand, and Bordeaux, honing his skills before returning to his ancestral home in the southern Rhône to have a go on his own. What he’s done here is magical. One to pour with your sizzling rib eye.